Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 287: To ask the Minister for Transport the circumstances surrounding reports that his Department instructed Dublin Bus to remove three buses from the 25X morning service serving Lucan, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25121/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The initiation or alteration of a bus service by Dublin Bus is subject to compliance with the necessary regulatory requirement of giving advance notice to my Department and to compliance with section 25 of the Transport Act, 1958 concerning competition with licensed private operators.

My Department wrote to Dublin Bus on 4th October, 2007 in relation to three additional Route 25X departures which the Company was operating from the Newcastle Road, Lucan Area. My Department had not been notified of these three additional departures and therefore Dublin Bus was requested to cease operation of the three services until they have been regularised.

To date, no notification has been received in my Department for these three services. My Department has advised Dublin Bus that proposals for additional services from Adamstown, which will serve the Lucan area, will require my consent under section 25 of the Transport Act 1958 and a further proposal to introduce three additional Route 25X Lucan services which differ from the services as referred to by the Deputy is currently the subject of correspondence between my Department and Dublin Bus.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 288: To ask the Minister for Transport the position regarding integrated ticketing for Dublin; the cost to date of all feasibility studies and planning exercises by the Railway Procurement Agency and all other bodies under his Department's aegis currently or previously investigating integrated ticketing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25122/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The position in relation to the Integrated Ticketing project was set out in my response to Parliamentary Question Numbers 66 and 109 on 18th October, 2007.

Since the inception of the project in 2002 €11.9 million has been spent on the project to date. This expenditure encompasses project management, design and development costs and operator contributions. The Railway Procurement Agency advises that this expenditure included €0.2 million on consultancy.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 289: To ask the Minister for Transport the conditions surrounding the granting of licences to private bus operators; his future plans in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25123/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Road Transport Act, 1932 provides the statutory basis for regulating the provision of public bus services by private bus operators in Ireland.

Section 11 of that Act establishes provisions relating specifically to the grant of Annual Road Passenger Licences. The criteria for the determination of applications is set out in subsections (3) of that section and provides that:—

The service is required in the public interest having regard to the passenger road services and other forms of passenger transport available to the public on or in the neighbourhood of the route of the proposed service,

Whether the service is sufficient in terms of frequency and duration to meet the requirements of the public,

Whether the applicant has the organisation and equipment necessary to carry out the service.

It is a condition of all Annual Passenger Licences that the Licensee is responsible for ensuring compliance with all conditions attached to the licence which includes adhering to the timetable and any restrictions placed on the licence in respect of pick-up and set-down of passengers.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to improve bus services under Transport 21 by reforming bus licensing to facilitate the optimum provision of services by providing a level playing field for all market participants. The new licensing regime will be designed in a manner consistent with the recently adopted new EU Regulation on Public Service Obligations in the transport sector.

While it is not possible at this time to indicate a precise time as to when the legislative proposals on regulatory reform of the bus market will be published, applications and notifications from bus operators will continue to be processed under the provisions of the Road Transport Act, 1932, as amended.